The country's five-day-moving average of Covid-19 cases has increased by 15% in the past week.
The Department of Health said yesterday its been notified of 1,758 new cases of Covid 19
The number of people in hospital with the virus has risen by 19 to 248, with 48 people in ICU.
Julian Mercille is a UCD associate professor and a member of ISAG which advocates for Zero Covid.
He says the safe reopening of schools should take priority.
"It's more important to allow for the safe reopening of schools than the reopening of hairdressers and restaurants.
"Those two things, restaurants and other non essential hospitality things as sad as it is they shouldn't go ahead and open them, to ensure that schools can be safely opened."
